The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 18th Edition 18th Edition

This is a vast medical reference book, written in technical language for practicing clinicians. That, of course, does not mean that it can't be endlessly fascinating and useful for so-called "laypeople" as well.Always wanted to be a doctor? Grades were never good enough? Couldn't afford it? Not to worry. This book is the wannabe physician's dream, and the hypochondriac's worst nightmare. It covers the entire range of human illness and injury, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. No other medical reference book comes close to its exhaustive coverage and scientific excellence. Potential readers should keep in mind that this book is NOT a drug reference, but a manual for general clinical practice. If you want to know the infinite details about your favorite pills, you'll need the Physician's Desk Reference as well.The book has thousands of tissue-paper thin pages, all filled with text. There are no photographs, few graphics of any kind, and only a few tables. It's a massive encyclopedia. For the curious and well-informed layperson, I recommend this book over the watered-down home version. It's not that the home version is "dumbed down." It isn't, but the real thing is far more scientifically penetrating in analysis, cause and treatment options. The technical language can be a bit daunting without a good medical dictionary (or an M.D. or D.O. degree), but once you learn a few recurring terms you'll find this book to be the best self-doctoring tool you've ever put your hands on. The only thing you won't be able to do is write your own prescriptions! Your doctor will just HATE you for it.New editions of the Merck Manual come around every six years or so, and sometimes it takes as long as ten, so this edition will be current for at least another five years. I know it sounds perverted, but I bought this book because I enjoy the science behind it. I read it just to learn new fascinating things about the wonderful field of medicine, and you can too! If anything, you'll appreciate how brilliant your medical professionals are.

In the world of information overload, where there are no longer any "Renaissaince Men," this is as close as you will get to "everything a general practitioner will even need to know" in one volume. This has a variety of conditions, described in a decent amount of detail, in a compact format. I am a nursing student and am using this manual to review various conditions for the NCLEX: Although this manual is written for physicians by physicians, much of the information is valuable to nurses as well, since we are often expected to know information that only physicians were expected to know a few generations ago. I don't like breaking out huge tomes (like Med-Surg textbooks) to read from, but this is an easy to carry, easy to hold in the hand and read volume. It contains information on almost any condition imaginable, except for the most esoteric and rare conditions known only to specialists.The only thing lacking in this manual, that I would like to see, is an index of laboratory tests and common lab values. Also, illustrations are pretty much absent, so if you are a visual person, you will want to have an illustrated medical dictionary as an adjunct to this.

Excellent to have on hand for reference. Purchased for Mother’s Day gifts, one for my mother to replace her out dated manual and one for me! Some reviews indicated lack of an index. It has an index in the back and alphabetical tabs throughout the manual.

The manual is divided by the human body system (i.e. derm, neuro, muscle, etc.). This is both good and bad. Good if you know what system is causing the problem, but not good if you're not sure. I have a biology background so I thought I'd be able to understand a lot of it, but it is quite technical in the verbiage. It's better than the internet because it describes the rarity or commonness of the disease/ailment, which if you've ever googled an ailment you know how scary that can be! It is succinct and not dramatic. I can definitely relate to why doctors seem so calm, because the technical side is very matter-of-fact. Overall, I'm glad I own it and would recommend it; however, I will definitely supplement it with other medical books.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GIFT FOR A MEDICAL "TYPE" (NURSE, MD, EMT, ETC.). THIS IS A GOOD ITEM. MOST MEDICAL TYPES USE THE INTERNET FOR THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION, BUT I HAVE ENJOYED HAVING AN EDITION OF THIS ON MY BOOK SHELF FOR FORTY YEARS. (IT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED FOR OVER 100 YEARS). YOU CAN ALWAYS WRITE A DEDICATION OR NOTE ON THE INSIDE COVER FOR A NEW GRADUATE. PLUS...IT HAS ACCURATE INFORMATION, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO SIFT THROUGH NONSENSE ON A BILLION HALF-BAKED WEB SITES.

The Merck Manual has always been a medical gem. The information is timely, authoritative, and beautifully written and edited. It informs but does not overwhelm with esoteric medical-speak. I have been a physician (M.D.)for 47 years and have found The Manual a valuable companion on countless occasions. The section on personality disorders, for example, provides one of the finest explanations of the diagnosis and treatment of these complicated mental conditions I have ever read. The Merck Manual sets a very high standard for medical texts.

Very good reference book for an educated reader, but not good enough to serve as a physcian's reference book.

This Merck manual was purchased for a health care professional (non-physician) practicing in a small clinic in the mountains of Honduras. Whereas this was not the latest version of the Merck Manual, it replaced a much older version. New formatting was much improved over older versions. The book was in excellent condition and a very good value for the money